{"id":29545,"date":"2025-11-09T22:29:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T22:29:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/29545\/"},"modified":"2025-11-09T22:29:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T22:29:18","slug":"the-2025-peoplehood-parade-and-pageant-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/29545\/","title":{"rendered":"the 2025 Peoplehood Parade and Pageant (Photos)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 25th annual Peoplehood Parade and Pageant swelled through the streets of West Philadelphia on Saturday, with a tapestry of collective voices and vision.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Led by Spiral Q<\/a>, a community arts organization that\u2019s fused art and activism for more than two decades, this year\u2019s milestone event<\/a> celebrated a quarter century of turning creative expression into collective action.<\/p>\n

Gaining common ground\u00a0<\/p>\n

Participants from 47 organizations and groups<\/a> gathered early at the historic Paul Robeson House<\/a> to unload and assemble giant puppets, fasten banners, tune drums, and share last-minute pep talks. Laughter and anticipation mingled with the sounds of bending cardboard and the tearing of duct tape.<\/p>\n

The 2025 celebration opened with a spirited performance by Cookie Diorio of The Bearded Ladies Cabaret<\/a>, setting an exuberant tone of radical joy before the first puppet even soared towards the sky.<\/p>\n

\"\"Cookie Diorio works the crowd in front of the Paul Robeson House. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

Activism meets art<\/p>\n

Every element of the parade is handmade and community-powered. The puppets and banners, constructed in Spiral Q\u2019s open art-build sessions, speak to ongoing struggles: housing justice, racial equity, environmental protection, and public infrastructure that serves everyone. The crafting of this year\u2019s Peoplehood art represented a total of 5,000 people hours, according to Jennifer Turnbull, Spiral Q\u2019s co-director.<\/p>\n

\"\"Spiral Q Co-Director Jennifer Turnbull unites the procession. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

The route \u2014 movement with purpose<\/p>\n

The procession began its journey through the leafy streets of West Philly from the Paul Robeson House toward Clark Park. The route winds through the neighborhood as a 1.25-mile, people-powered parade \u2014 no motorized vehicles, just wheels, feet, music, rhythm and imagination.<\/p>\n

\"\"Spiral Q volunteers and allies kept the energy joyful and flowing. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nThree-dimensional cardboard creations ruled the day. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

Along the way, neighborhood groups and longtime allies marched shoulder-to-shoulder, bringing their causes and creativity to the streets while neighbors waved from porches and steps.<\/p>\n

Transit Forward Philadelphia carried banners and puppets promoting safe, accessible and sustainable public transit<\/a>. Their contingent celebrated recent advocacy<\/a> campaigns that helped oppose SEPTA service cuts<\/a> while renewing the call for long-term, statewide transit funding<\/a> to support the system that Philadelphians deserve. Philly Bike Action\u2019s 2025 Peoplehood puppets brought attention to safety concerns in Fairmount Park<\/a> for both bikers and pedestrians.<\/p>\n

\"\"Transit Forward Philadelphia advocates for investment in public transit infrastructure and the continuation of the Zero Fare program. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"Philly Bike Action featured bicycling Philly wildlife alongside a giant funnel depicting how traffic could be funneled in Fairmount Park to protect bicyclists and pedestrians alike. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"Philly Bike Action with favorite Philly wildlife on wheels. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"Save the Meadows is a grassroots group opposing deforestation and chemical contamination of FDR Park (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

Save the Meadows<\/a>, a grassroots organization opposing further deforestation in FDR Park<\/a> and fighting for safe, healthy playing fields and the preservation of public spaces, animated a towering Turf Monster and a soaring Bald Eagle in this year\u2019s Peoplehood Parade, rallying for the protection of FDR Park<\/a> and Philadelphia\u2019s green spaces<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Volunteers and coalition members processed proudly beside the towering puppets, reminding everyone that justice and joy can move in unison.<\/p>\n

Anisa George of Save the Meadows loves participating in Peoplehood as a way to both raise awareness<\/a> and to foster strategic partnerships: \u201cWe find a lot of solidarity with other causes and struggles being represented here,\u201d George said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Korea Peace Committee Philadelphia called for \u201cunity\u201d (as depicted in their tiger\u2019s stripes) and the demilitarization of the Korean peninsula. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"Consent FRIES remind us that consent is: Freely Given, Reversible, Informed, Embodied, and Specific. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"Families march and proclaim \u201cAqu\u00ed Estamos\u201d: We are here. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"Philadelphia Asian & Queer strives to engage queer (LGBTQIA+) Asian\/Asian-American folks in the greater Philadelphia region. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"Support for federal workers was on display at the parade. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

Celebration in Clark Park<\/p>\n

By midafternoon, the parade flowed into Clark Park\u2019s Dog Bowl, transforming movement into gathering. The pageant portion of the event shifts the energy from spectacle to circle, from marching to meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s pageant unfolded with live music, storytelling and interactive art stations. Tables from local organizations offered resources to help attendees understand how to stay engaged with the issues that this year\u2019s Peoplehood brought to the forefront, ensuring that Peoplehood remains a process rather than a singular gathering.<\/p>\n

\"\"Children enthusiastically rush to choose banners to their liking. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"All ages were invited to participate in the pageant. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"A flotilla in support of Palestine sailed through Clark Park. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"Philly Elmo from the PME Drumline remains a fan favorite. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"Celebrating the reversal of the previously-planned arena in Chinatown. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"Advocating for safe and affordable housing for all. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

\"\"Preparing for flight. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

Closing reflections<\/p>\n

The 2025 Peoplehood Parade served as an embodied act of resistance and renewal, marking 25 years of art, action and collective joy.<\/p>\n

Spiral Q describes Peoplehood as a handmade and people-powered celebration of solidarity, creativity and courage. In its 25th year, the parade continued to ask vital questions about who we are together \u2014 about how communities can reclaim public space, celebrate collective power and use art to envision a more just and connected city.<\/p>\n

\"\"The West Powelton Drum Squad and Steppers have performed every single year since the very first Peoplehood Parade and Pageant 25 years ago. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

As the sun dropped over Clark Park, the drums faded but the echoes remained \u2014 a reminder that public space belongs to the people, and that art can keep these spaces alive.<\/p>\n

Spanning local and global issues alike, the puppets and performances in the 2025 Peoplehood Parade and Pageant carried the shared message that joy and justice are not in opposition, they thrive together.<\/p>\n

\"\"The sun shines over the event, bringing transformation and change. (Hanbit Kwon)<\/p>\n

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